a teacher’s teacher
Jill Winegar, Master Trainer, is a ‘teacher’s teacher’ with over 30 years experience training fitness professionals. Jill has been a STOTT PILATES® Instructor Trainer for over a decade, and an international presenter conducting workshops and certification courses in Europe and the US. She most recently was awarded the title of Lead Instructor Trainer for STOTT PILATES®, one of 30 trainers in the world to hold such status. Her 30 + years in the fitness industry include program development for training of group fitness instructors, personal trainers, Pilates, and Kettlebell instructors and she created and was the lead educator for one of the first ACE accredited training programs for group fitness and personal trainers in the U.S.
Jill is an ACE continuing education provider and also adjunct faculty for the University of Minnesota where she teaches anatomy in the dance department.
She is a regular guest presenter at the prestigious Golden Door Spa in Escondido California and Rancho la Puerta, and trained Sting on his most recent tour with The Police.
Jill became interested in Kettlebells a number of years ago, and did several certification courses, including world-renowned RKC and Kettlebell Concepts. She found Kettlebells to be a simple, efficient, yet effective way to build strength without joint strain or adding bulk. It has the added bonus of challenging the cardiovascular system in high-intensity, short-duration, intervals, and is a great addition to Pilates training. However, Kettlebell’s ‘extreme fitness’ reputation has both increased its U.S. popularity and frightened away those who stand to benefit the most.
Take away the hype and break it down into reasonable measures and it’s clear that Kettlebells are for everyday people, not just secret service agents or Olympic lifters. Like Pilates, form, detail, and safety are paramount where Kettlebells are involved. Most of the certification courses available focus exclusively on individual performance as opposed to teaching the instructor “how to teach” or fall under the realm of “Hardstyle”, which has its own appeal, but whose focus tends to be narrow and niche-y.
Jill understands the value of practical, applicable information that empowers fitness professionals to teach Kettlebell training to real people and with the STOTT PILATES® detailed approach to anatomy, correct biomechanics, cueing, modifications and progressions she has developed a very unique Introduction to Kettlebells course specifically for Pilates and group fitness instructors, but also has great appeal for Personal Trainers, athletes and Firefighters.
She knows what instructors need to know in order to safely and confidently train their clients using Kettlebells. Her 2007 workshops conducted in the U.K. through a partnership with Active Training, quickly turned countless Pilates instructors into Kettlebell enthusiasts and we have seen the same happen here as Pilates instructors, fitness professionals, and conditioning coaches begin discovering this reasonable forum in which to learn how to train clients using Kettlebells.